Door-operating mechanism.



A B. SYEWART.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. 1915.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I .7////1 mmgmunqnunumummu A. 8. STEWART.

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. 1915.

Patented Nov. 6, 191?.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 A. B. STEWART. DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. 1915.

Patented Nov. 6, i917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW B. STEWART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT,AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 0F EIGHT-FIFTEENTHS T0 EDWARD LAAS, TWO-FIFTEENTHS TO JOHN FLINT DILLE, AND ONE-FIFTEENTH T0 FRED ERICK. P. BARTLETT, ALL OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Nov. 6, 1917.

Application filed September 30, 1915. Serial No. 53,249

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW B. STEWART, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door- Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for opening and closing one or more doors, shutters, or similar closure members.

It has for one of its objects to providean etticient mechanism for applying power to opening and closing doors.

Another of the principal objects of my invention is to provide motor-driven means for opening and closing a door controllable from one or more points possibly remote from the door through the agency of momentarily energized control circuits, by operation, for example, of push button circuit closers; the elements of said controlling mechanism being so constructed and ar ranged that the movement of the door in opening or closing may be instantaneously arrested at any point, and thereafter resumed either in the same or in the reverse direction.

Other objects of my invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in; the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in coniunction with the drawings wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of a pair of hinged doors showing ,a door operating mechanism attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevatlon of a part of the door operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of same.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an electric switch for controlling the door-operating electric motor.

Fig. 6 a plan view of said switch.

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on line 77 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an adjustable switch operating attachment to the door.

Fig. 9 is a plural circuit switch and the manner of connectingeach of the buttons or switches to the circuits.

Fig. 10 is a diagram ofcircuits.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

In the chosen illustrative embodiment of my invention 1515 is a pair of doors hinged, as at 16, to jambs 17 They could Just as well be sliding doors in so far as m invention is concerned. In Figs. 1 and 2 the doors are shown closed, in full lines, while in Fig. 2 they are shown in 'open position, in dotted lines. An electric motor 18 is employed, when energized, to furnish the power necessary to open and close the doors. \Vhen the motor armature is rotated in one direction, the doors are, by proper connecting mechanism, moved to open position, and when the armature of the motor is rotated in the opposite direction, the doors are closed, through the intervening mechanism. I

I will describe one means for transmitting power from the motor to the doors. Mounted on the armature shaft 19 is a worm 20 having driving association with the worm wheel 21, the latter being secured to a vertical shaft 22. Also secured to the shaft 22 is a grooved wheel or driven pulley 23, around which a rope or round belt 24: is passed and which-serves as an intervening connecting mechanism for operating the doors, by the rotation of the armature of the electric motor. A stud 25 is secured to a fixed portion of the building structure 26, and carries a grooved pulley 27 and an to each of the doors, and at apoint nearer the respectlve hlnges is another similar bracket 30. I A rod 31 is downturned at each of its ends, one end being'secured in the bracket 29 and the other end being secured in the bracket 30, there being a rod and the proper number of brackets located near the top of each of the doors. A ring 32, having pivoted shackles 33-33 in diametrically opposite ositions is adapted to be moved freely a ong the bar 31 when the doors 15-45" are being openedor closed. Each of the rings is connected in the rope 24.

Located on t e opposite side of the doorway structure, to that on-twhich .the rope sheave 23 is placed, is a similar rope sheave 35 grooved for the rope 24, and loosely rotatable upon the stud or shaft 86. The rope section or reach 24, between the sheave 21 and the sheaves 27 and 28 is connected to the ring of the door 15. The section 24 passes around the sheave 28 and around the sheave 35 and then returns to the sheave 27, as 24. The section 24 is connected to the ring 32, of the door 15, and thence as section 24 it passes back to the sheave 21. hen the rope 24 is pulled on by the motor 18 in its rotation of the sheave 23 it is moved in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2. This stress will be communicated to section 24", which will move in the direction of the arrow, and to section 24, after the rope passes around the sheave 35 causing section 24 to move in the same direction as section 24 and pulling on the ring 32 of the door 15 will cause the ring to move along the rod 31 and the' doors will be thus opened. In this example, the rope sections 24 and 24 serve to open the doors whereas, when the direction of rotation of the motor 18 is reversed, ropes 24 and 24 will serve to close the doors, in a manner clearly apparent from the foregoing description. It will now be understood that the rotation of 'the' motor 18 will serve, through the instrumentality of the rope 24, to open the doors to dotted line position, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, or to close them, as shown in full lines in said figure. Therefore it only remains to provide some means to control the electric motor 18 so that it may be properly energized and that its armature may be rotated in the proper direction to accomplish the object sought.

To control the motor from a remote point, or from a plurality of such points removed from the doors, I provide the electro-respon- Spa switching device 40. The structure indicated as 40 consists of two independently operable relays 40 and 40 I also provide certain associated circuits and manually controllable switches in association therewith, all of which are more clearly shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.

My invent-ion is not to be limited to the peculiar form of electrically operated mechanism exemplified in the drawings, but in order that I may disclose a complete opera tive embodiment of my invention I will describe it in detail in association with the circuits clearly defined in Fig. 10.

Mounted upon a base of insulating material 41 are electromagnetic solenoids 42 and 43, having responsive cores 44 and 45. respectively. End frames 46 and 47' support the mechanism of the switch. A cross bar 48, of insulating material, is supported at each end by the frame, as at 49 and supports electric clips 50. An arm 51 projects forwardly of the frame and supports, at each of its ends another bar of insulating mate rial 52. This relatively stationary bar 52,

carries a series of separate independently movable contacts a, b, 0, e, f, gand h, the first three being members of the relay 40 and the last mentioned four being members of the relay 40. Supported by the frame members 46 and 47 is a shaft 54 on which two independent substantially rectangular bars 55 and 56 are rotatably supported. The bar being a member of the relay 40 and the bar 56 being a member of the relay 40 said bars having independent movement. Rocking bar 55 carries three contact arms 57, 58and 59 on the outer ends of which are located contacts A, B and C for cooperation with the contacts a, Z) and c. It also carries a contact arm 60 on the outer end of which is a contact D for cooperation with a contact cl, the latter being located upon another bar to be hereafter described. Rocking bar 56 is provided with arms 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65, on the outer ends of which are contacts E, F, G and H for cooperation with the stationary contacts 6, f, g and h. Bar 61 and 62 each carry double contacts E and F, respectively, for cooperation With e and f located on the lower stationary bar to be hereafter referred to. Bar 65 carries a contact l for cooperation with the contact 2" located upon the lower bar. The lower bar 66 is composed of insulating material and is located in projecting arms 67 and 68 of the frames 46 and 47, respectively. This insulating bar carries the contacts d, e, f and i towhich reference has heretofore been made.

Projecting rearwardly of the bar 48 are studs 7070 for support of springs 7171 that engage the rearwardly projecting bars 7 2 from the respective insulating bars 55 and 56 of the respective relays. The cores 44 and 45 of the respective solenoids are also connected to the bars 72, by links 73, and these cores are held in elevated position, by the springs, as shown in Fig. 7, to normally close the contacts between D and (7, E and e, F and f, I and i, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and as furthermore shown in the diagram of circuit. Each of the carbon contacts of the relay is provided with a clip, such as clip .75. for connection to the elec tric circuit, and a series of clips 76 is located upon the bottom of the base 41 of the switch.

In the diagram of circuits 78 and 79 represent the terminals of a source of electrical supply. say of a constant potential electric light ing circuit of 110 volts. In tracingthe circuit the wire 80 passes from the positive terminal 78 to the circuit makin -and-breaking device 81, preferably a push butt-on, for stopping the motor. This device is manually operable, and there may be as many of them as desired located at various points where the doors are to be operated. Their function is to open the circuit so as to stop the motor at any point desired, thereby to open or close the doors only as far as may be desired. When more than one such device is used, they are placed in series relation in the wire 80, in a manner clearly understood by those versed in the art.

The wire 80 continues, as wire 82, to the door operable switch 83. Another similar switch 84 is adapted to be operated by the door 15 when it swings in the other direction on its hinges 16. The door 15, in the diagram, is shown to be in a definite position, which may represent its closed position, at which time, a projection 15 is pressed against the blade of the door switch 83 and the circuit thereof is open, When the door makes its full swing, the projection 15, on the opposite side of the door, will press against a similar blade of the door switch 84 and open the circuit thereby, in the same manner. The door switch 84 is connected to the terminal g by a wire 85. The terminal g is connected to the movable terminal 11, by wire 86. The terminal I is connected to the door switch 83 by wire 87. The switch moving terminals E and F are connected to the terminals of the armature 18 of the motorby the wires 88 and 89, respectively. The field winding 18 of the motor is connected to the terminals A and B of the relay 40 by the wires 90-92 and 91, respectively. Terminals A and B of the relay 40 are also connected to terminals 6 and e re spectively of relay 40 by wires 92 and 91 93, respectively. The terminal 78 is connected to the terminal a of relay 40 by the wires 80 and 94, and the terminal 5 of saidrelay is connected to the terminal 79 by wires 95 and 96. Wire 97 is connected to the wire 95 and also to the terminal 98 of the coil 42 and the terminal 99 of the coil 43. The other terminal 100 of the coil 42, is connected by wire 101 to the door closing push button 102. It is also connected bywire 103 to contact C, as at 104, and to terminal h of switch 40 by wire 105. Terminal 106, of the coil 43, relay 40", is connected by wire 107 to terminal (2 of relay 40*. Terminal 0, of relay 40, is connected by wire 108 to terminal 71' of relay 40". Terminal D is connected to the push buttons 110-110 by. wire 111.

Fig, 9 shows how the momentarily operated making and breaking devices 81, 102 and 110 may be grouped. As many sets of such devices or groups of switches, may be employed and as many different locations for the proper operation of the doors, as.

may be desired.

Assuming now that the doors 1515are closed and that the electric motor 18, and the controlling apparatus, is deenergized when it is desirable to open the doors.

The circuit may then be closed by either of the pushbuttons 110110, of which there may be any convenient number located at wires 80 suitable situation, whereupon the current will pass from the positive terminal 78 over the wire 80 through the push button 110, over the wire 111, to contact D, to contact (Z, over wire 107 through the coil 43 to the terminal 99 and over wire 97 to the wire 95 and thence to the negative terminal 79 of the supply circuit, thus energizing coil 43 and raising contacts E, 1*, G, H and I. This will cause current to'fiow over the wire 107 contacts 9 G wire 86 to contact H, from thence to contact h, over the wire 105, to. a point 100, through the coil 42, to the point 98, and over wires 97 and 95 to the negative terminal 79 of the source of current supply, thus energizing coil 42 and so causing contacts A, B, C and D, of the relay 40 to be raised and make connection with the respective contacts a, b, c, thereabove, and causing connection between contact D and d to be broken. The excitation of the solenoid 43 is maintained after the separation of the points D, d, by means of the circuit traced as follows: from the positive wire 78 to the wire 80, stop switch 81, wire 82, wire 85, contacts g, G, wire 107, solenoid 43, wire 97, wire 95, to the negative side of the line 79. As soon as connection is made between A and B and a and b, respectively, the motor 18 will be energized through the following circuits. From the terminal 78, over the 94, through the contacts a and A, through the wires 92-9'0 and from thence through the shunt field winding 18, over the wire 91, back to the contact B and from thence to contact I), over wire 95, to the negative terminal 7 9,thus energizing the shunt field of the motor. armature 18 is energized over the wire 92, to the contact 6, to contact E, it being now raised, and over the wire 88, through thearmature 18*, over the wire 89 to. the contacts F and 7, from thence over the wires 109-93, back to the contacts 13-?) and the negative terminal 79.

Now the armature of the motor 18 begins to rotate and the door 15 begins to move when switch contact 83 will be closed and the circuit being now opened between the contacts D and d, by the operation of the relay 40?, current no longer flows through switch 110, but passes over the wire 80 through the circuit opening switch-81, over the wire 82 and through the switch 84, from thence over the wire 85. to the contact 9 and contact G, over the wire 107, thus maintaining the electromagnet43 energized and retaining the relay 40 closed. At any time after the door 15, or doors 1515' start. on their excursions they may be stopped by opening the circuit, by opening making and breaking device 81. When the door 15 swings entirely open, the projection 15 will engage the yielding bar of the switch 84 and automatically open the same circuit which is opened by the hand operated switch 81, thereby deenergizing the motor, and the automatic switches controlling the same, when the movable contacts controlled by said relays will automatically return to normal-position, shown in Fig. 10. Now when it becomes desirable to close the doors, it is necessary to reverse the direction of current through the motor so that its armature will rotate in the opposite direction and will move the rope 24c in the opposite direction, thereby to cause the doors to be closed.

To close the door it is only necessary to close either one of the making and breaking devices 102l02 whereupon the current will be from the wire 80 to contact 80 through the switch lever 102, over the wire 101, through the magnet 42, to point 98 and over the wires 97 and 95, back to the negative terminal 79 of the'current supply circuit. This will raise the contact carrying member and the relay 40 Will thus lift the four movable contacts'A, B, O and D causing the energization of the field magnet 18 and the armature 18 of the motor, but the current will flow through the armature '18 in the opposite direction, to that in the previous example. Therefore the direction of ro tation of the armature will be reversed. After the push button switch 102 has been momentarily closed and released, and after the four contacts A, B, C and D have been raised, the circuit including push button 102 will be opened but it will continue to be closed through the wires 80, 82, through the switch 83, which is now closed, through the wire 87, to contact I and i, over the wire 108 to the contact 0-0, over wire 103, to the point l00and through the magnet 42, back to the negative terminal 79, thus retaining the relay 40 closed and the relay 40 deenergized, and when the relay 40 is deencrgized, current for the armature of the motor will pass into the contacts 6' and f from the contacts E and F instead of the contacts 0 and f as before, reversing the current in the motor armature in a manner well understood by persons versed in the art.

It is evident that one, two or more doors may be simultaneously operated, in the manner heretofore described, by the adoption of proper instrumentalities connected to the motor for this purpose, and it is furthermore manifest that as many push buttons for the purpose of energizing the mechanism for moving the doors toward closing, or open positions, and for the purpose of stopping the doors during their movement, from one position to the other, may be employed and located in as many different situations as desired.

While I have herein shown a single embodiment of my invention, for the purpose of clear. disclosure, it is manifest that many changes may be made from the specific illustrations within the scope and purview oi the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a pairof hinged doors of a motor operable in either direction, pulleys mounted adjacent the free ends of the doors when open, a pulley mounted adjacent the meeting edges of the doors when closed, a driving connection between the motor and one of said pulleys, an endless cable which is taut for all positions of the doors passing over said pulleys for frictional driving engagement therewith, and sliding connections between the doors and said cable.

2. The combination with a swinging door, of a motor operable in either direction, a pulley driven thereby and positioned adjacent the free end of the door when open, a pulley mounted adjacent the free end of the door when closed, a normally taut endless cable passing over said pulleys, and a sliding connection of limited movement between said door and cable. 7

3. The combination of a door, a motor operable in either direction, means actuated by the operation of said motor in one direction for opening the door and actuated by the operation of said motor in the opposite direction for closing the door, means automatically effective at or about the time when the door reaches its completely open position for stopping the door opening operation, means automatically effective at or about the time when the door reaches its completely closed position for stopping the door closing operation, and other means only momentarily operated for stopping the door moving operatlon at any time as desired.

4. The combination of a door, a motor operable in either direction, means actuated by the operation of said motor in one direction for opening the door and actuated by the operation of said motor in the opposite direction for closing the door, means automatically effective at or about the time when the door reaches its completely open position for stopping the door opening operation, means automatically effective at or about the time when the door reaches its completely closed position for stopping the door closing operation, and other means for stopping at any time the operation of moving the door in either direction and for conditioning the mechanism for thereafter moving the door in either direction, comprising a circuit closing device adapted to be momentarily operated.

5. The combination of a door adapted to be moved for opening into a position at an angle relative to its closed position, a normally taut flexible connector, means for attaching said connector to said door, and means for moving said flexible connector in fixed direction at an angle to the plane of the door opening, said attaching means being adapted to shift radially relative to the axis of the door as the relative positions of the flexible connector and the door change in the opening operation.

6. The combination of a swinging door, a normally taut flexible connector bodily supported in fixed'diagonal position relative to the plane in whichthe door lies when closed, means for moving said flexible connector longitudinally of itself, and means for attaching said flexible connector to said door for opening and closing the door, adapted to. permit the point of connection of the flexible connector to the door to shift toward and from the axis upon which the door swings.

7 i The combination of a swingingdoor, an endless flexible connector, a plurality of supporting means for holding the flexible connector taut with a portion in diagonal position relative to the plane in which the door lies when closed,- means for moving said endless flexible connector in either 'direction, and means for attaching said connector to said door, adapted to apply power to the door for opening and closing the door, but adapted to permit a change in the relative position of the flexible connector and the door radially of the axis of the door.

8. The combination of a pair of doors to be opened and closed, of a flexible connector having two parts movable in opposite direction but generally in the direction of the path of movement of the respective doors, means to support said connector to maintain it in substantially fixed lines, means radially movable of the door for connecting the oppositely movable parts of the connector to said doors respectively, a motor for driving said connector in a given direction to open thedoors and for reversing the direction of drive to close the doors, and automatic means effective to stop operation of the motor at or about the time when said doors are open and closed and to condition the motor for rotation thereafter in opposite direction.

9. The combination of a door, an electric motor for opening and closing the door, controlling mechanism for the motor, comprising circuit makingand-breaking devices which are only momentarily operated, one to actuate the motor to produce an opening movement of the door, one to actuate the motor to produce a closing movement of the door, and a third to stop the motor and effeet a return of the elements of the controlling mechanism to their normal positions, whereby the motor may be re-actuated by either of the first named circuit-closing devices to produce a resumption of movement of the door in either direction.

10. The combination of a door, a reversible electric motor for opening and closing thedoor, a source of electric supply, a plurality of operating circuits connecting the motor With said electric supply, comprising a circuit to energize the motor to produce an opening movement of the door, a circuit to energize the motor to produce a closing movement of the door, a third circuit adapted when closed to ope-n both of said operating circuits, a circuit-closing device for said circuits, and means for actuating said cir-- cuit-closing device, comprising aplurality of actuating circuits, and push buttons adapted. to momentarily close said circuitsso as to actuate said circuit-closer.

11. The combination with two doors hinged at opposite edges, an endless cable extending at anang'le to the plane in which the door lies when closed for opening and closing the same, pulleys for supporting said cable in substantially taut condition, two reaches of said cable having sliding connections with said doors respectively whereby when the cable is driven in one direction the doors are opened, and when driven in the other direction are closed, without substantial deflection of said reaches from straight lines.

12. The combination wlth a door of mechanism for opening and closing the door and an electromagnetic device for controlling said opening and closing mechanism com- ,prising three momentarily operated circuit makiug-and-breaking devices, one of which sets the opening and clos ng-mechanism 1n operation to open the door, the other sets the same in operation to' close the door and the third of which effects a stoppage of said mechanism.

13. The combination with a door of mechanism for opening and closing thedoor and an electromagnetic device for controlling said opening and closing mechanism comprising three momentarily operated. circuit making-and-breaking devices, one of which sets the opening and closing mechanism in operation to open the door, the other sets the same in operation to close the door and the third of which efiectsa stoppage of said mechanism, automatic means operative when the door reaches its opened and closed'positions for effecting a stoppage of said opening and closing mechanism.

14. The combination with a door, of a reversible electric motor and mechanical connections between the same and the door for opening and closing the latter; and an electromagnetic switching device for controlling the circuits through said motor comprising three momentarily closed circuit making-and-breaking devices, one of which sets the motor in operation in one direction, another of which sets the motor in operation in the reverse direction and the third ofwhich deenergizes the motor.

15. The combination'with a door, of niechanism for opening and closing the door comprising a reversible electric motor and mechanical connections between the same and the door; and an electromagnetic switching device forcontrolling the circuits through said motor comprising a momentarily closed circuit making-and-breaking device which efiects the energization of the motor for rotation in one direction, a momentarily closed making-and-breaking device which effects the energization ofthe motor for rotation in the reverse direction, and automatic means operative when the door reaches its open and closed position for eifecting a deenergization of the motor.

16. The combination with a door of a reversible electric motor and mechanical connections between the same and the door for opening and closing the latter and an electromagnetic switching device comprising two relays for controlling the circuits through said motor, a momentarily closed makingand-breaking device in circuit with the magnet of one of said relays for effecting the rotation of the motor in one direction, said relays comprising contacts which when said magnet is energized establish a circuit through the magnet of the second relay, a limit switch opened by the doorin circuit with the magnet of the first relay and with contacts closed by energization of the magnet of the second relay, a momentarily closed making-and-breaking device, for effecting the rotation of the motor in the reverse direction which, is in circuit with the magnet of the second relay, and a door 0perated limit switch put into circuit with the magnet of the second relay when the magnet of the first relay is deenergized.

17. The combination with a door of a re- Versible electric motor and mechanical connections between the same and the door for opening and closing the latter and an elec tromagnetic switching device comprising two relays for controlling the circuits through said motor, a momentarily closed makingand-breaking device in circuit with the magnet of one of said relays for efiecting the rotation of the motor in one direction, said relays comprising contacts which when said magnet is energized establish a circuit through the magnet of the second relay, a limit switch opened by the door in circuit with the magnet of the first relay and with contacts closed by energization of the magnet of the second relay, a momentarily closed making-and-breaking device, for effecting the rotation of the motor in the reverse direction which is in circuit with the magnet of the second relay, a door operated limit switch put into circuit with the magnet of the second relay when the magnet of the first relay is deenergized, and a normally closed momentarily opened motor stopping switch in circuit with'each of said door operated switches.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ANDREW B. STEWART.

In the presence of- STANLEY W. 0001;, MARY F. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

